Armed forces as a share of the population — all countries

Armed forces as a share of the population — OECD

Armed forces as a share of the population in the OECD in 2022 — 0.342%. Since 1960, the indicator has fallen by 0.674 pp.

2022 0.342% −0.005 pp vs 2021
World rank
Period maximum 1.08%1968
Period minimum 0.342%2022

Trend over time

1960–2022 · % of population

Armed forces as a share of the population — OECD, 1960–202200.511.519601967197419811988199520022009201620221960: 1.016%1962: 1.046%1964: 1.059%1966: 1.032%1968: 1.08%1970: 0.998%1972: 0.903%1974: 0.874%1976: 0.826%1978: 0.813%1980: 0.801%1982: 0.813%1984: 0.806%1986: 0.799%1988: 0.782%1990: 0.732%1992: 0.668%1994: 0.634%1996: 0.589%1998: 0.564%2000: 0.474%2002: 0.455%2004: 0.446%2006: 0.445%2008: 0.432%2010: 0.445%2012: 0.42%2014: 0.401%2016: 0.384%2018: 0.361%2020: 0.353%2022: 0.342%
Change over the period: −0.674 pp Annual average: -0.01 pp

Comparison, 2022

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: OECD

OECD 0.342%
World computed 0.259%
Armed forces as a share of the population — OECD, by year OECD All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2022 0.342 −0.005 pp
2021 0.347 −0.006 pp
2020 0.353 −0.007 pp
2019 0.36 −0.001 pp
2018 0.361 −0.001 pp
2017 0.363 −0.022 pp
2016 0.384 −0.008 pp
2015 0.392 −0.008 pp
2014 0.401 −0.006 pp
2013 0.407 −0.014 pp
2012 0.42 −0.003 pp
2011 0.424 −0.021 pp
2010 0.445 −0.006 pp
2009 0.451 +0.019 pp
2008 0.432 −0.001 pp
2007 0.433 −0.012 pp
2006 0.445 +0.005 pp
2005 0.44 −0.005 pp
2004 0.446 −0.006 pp
2003 0.451 −0.003 pp
2002 0.455 −0.004 pp
2001 0.458 −0.016 pp
2000 0.474 −0.071 pp
1999 0.544 −0.02 pp
1998 0.564 −0.017 pp
1997 0.581 −0.008 pp
1996 0.589 −0.022 pp
1995 0.611 −0.023 pp
1994 0.634 −0.005 pp
1993 0.64 −0.029 pp
1992 0.668 −0.049 pp
1991 0.717 −0.015 pp
1990 0.732 −0.025 pp
1989 0.757 −0.025 pp
1988 0.782 −0.015 pp
1987 0.797 −0.002 pp
1986 0.799 +0.003 pp
1985 0.797 −0.01 pp
1984 0.806 −0.006 pp
1983 0.813 −0 pp
1982 0.813 +0.006 pp
1981 0.807 +0.006 pp
1980 0.801 +0.011 pp
1979 0.791 −0.022 pp
1978 0.813 −0.009 pp
1977 0.821 −0.005 pp
1976 0.826 −0.009 pp
1975 0.835 −0.038 pp
1974 0.874 −0.007 pp
1973 0.88 −0.022 pp
1972 0.903 −0.048 pp
1971 0.951 −0.047 pp
1970 0.998 −0.058 pp
1969 1.056 −0.024 pp
1968 1.08 +0.011 pp
1967 1.069 +0.037 pp
1966 1.032 +0.037 pp
1965 0.995 −0.064 pp
1964 1.059 +0.001 pp
1963 1.058 +0.012 pp
1962 1.046 +0.057 pp
1961 0.988 −0.028 pp
1960 1.016

About the indicator

Military personnel on active duty as a percent of the entire population of the country. The indicator answers the question of how large the armed forces are relative to the size of the country — an army that is large in absolute numbers in a large country can come out smaller by this measure than the small army of a small state.

Important: A close indicator — the share of the labor force — answers a different question: what part of those able to work is occupied in the army instead of the economy. In countries with young populations the two diverge noticeably.

Source: Military Expenditure Database (SIPRI), license SIPRI terms of use.